Poems
by Sheep
Summary: Various poems about the true thoughts of characters about themselves. Who are they? Their identities are revealed in the chapter after the poem. Not a real story...more like a compliation of poems. Enjoy!
1. Masks

Sheep: Yeah, this is a dark poem based on a Yugioh character. BUT I'm not going to say who it is. I'll tell you that later. Muahahaha... BUT! That doesn't stop all of you pretty readers to guess who it is!  
  
~*~  
  
I go through life  
Behind a mask  
Behind a shield  
That protects me from others  
And their own cruel selves.  
I sometimes make them believe  
That my mask has come off  
But the face underneath is just another mask.  
  
Masks and masks  
Of pride,  
Of ruthlessness,  
Of anger,  
Of indifference.  
These masks I wear in front of everyone  
Including those I love.  
I simply wear different ones  
For different people.  
  
No one knows  
What I look like.  
No one knows  
Who I truly am.  
No one.  
Not even me.  
  
Mask after mask,  
I peel them off  
But I never see  
Who I am.  
So many masks  
So much deceit  
To everyone  
And to myself.  
So many...  
  
I look at my reflection  
And a stranger stares back.  
The masks are gone.  
This is who I am?  
No.  
That is just another mask.  
When all the masks are truly gone,  
I look again.  
I still see a stranger.  
  
A stranger that I barely know.  
A stranger who's almost dead.  
  
A stranger that is I.  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: So? Who do you think it is? You could e-mail me your guesses... or you can just put them in your reviews! Even better! *Goes off to munch on some grass… uh, gum* 


	2. Look who it is!

Sheep: Sorry it took so long! I blame this time of the year. *shakes hand at exams* DAMN YOU, EXAMS! -_-U Hehe. So, here's the next bit of my poem-turned-story.  
  
~*~  
  
"There."  
  
I just lifted my pen from the paper when my bedroom door slammed open.  
  
"Seto! Seto!" Oh, it's just Mokuba. "Your board's doing something to your new holographic system. They're reconfiguring the safety protocols again."  
  
Goddamn them. I specifically told them not to touch my systems until I had already tested it. Ah, well. They're just trying to kill me again, aren't they? Too bad they won't succeed. I'm already dead inside.  
  
"Fine," I sighed. As I got up, the paper that I was writing on floated to the ground. Unfortunately, Mokuba got to it first. He looked at me with wide eyes when he glanced at the paper.  
  
"Seto...?"  
  
"It's nothing, Mokuba." I quickly took the paper from him. "Just a school assignment," I lied. I sealed it in a safe that I keep in the wall, so that nobody will know that it's there. "Let's go."  
  
I dealt with my wretched, ungrateful board of idiots in a couple hours in downtown. But, amidst my threats, I felt... empty for some reason. Like there was nothing inside of me and I was just a shell living out someone else's life.  
  
I was so confused when I left the meeting... I felt so estranged with myself that I couldn't concentrate...  
  
When my limo came to pick me up, I told the driver to keep driving. With minimal persuasion, he got my drift. I needed to be alone with my thoughts.  
  
I wandered around Domino City for a while; just letting my feet guide my way. My thoughts raced through my head at a mile a minute, but not going anywhere.  
  
Why do I feel this way?! This is who I am! I'm a person who doesn't mind doing what he needs to do to get the job done. I am in control of my life. Yes. I control my own life and what happens to me. I can't be blamed if someone pushes me too hard so that I have to resort to the last option. And, if I want something, I will not hesitate to ask for it. Not my fault if they make me do things to hurt them.  
  
Is this really who I am?  
  
Oh, my God...  
  
How did this happen? What kind of beast did I turn into?  
  
No! This can't be who I am! I just don't know what comes over me when something like that happens, that's all!  
  
...Then, who am I?  
  
  
  
What the...?  
  
Oh, it just HAD to rain today, didn't it?  
  
Where am I? Great... this day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? I just had to end up at the last place I want to be…  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: Again, I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!! And for the short chapter!  
  
Oh, and to my reviewers... *HUGS* Thank you! Good guessing! And, yes, it is very similar to what Marik or Yami Bakura would do, but I thought it was more like Kaiba.  
  
Also, I'm planning to make more poems later on of different characters. You're all welcome to guess, of course, once I put them up. BUT, the next time I will most likely update with another chappie is after exams. 


	3. Fate

Sheep: I forgot to put up a disclaimer...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or anything that's associated with it. (except for a duel monsters deck.)  
  
Sheep: There we go. So, here is another of my little poems and, of course, you're all free to guess who it is! ^_^  
  
~*~  
  
Writings from the past  
That speak of the future.  
Destinies that intertwine,  
Twisting and changing,  
The future and people.  
  
Fate is inevitable  
Undeniable  
But it is not impossible to change.  
  
I am tied to fate  
Along with destiny.  
I know this.  
But I don't want this.  
I don't want this responsibility.  
  
How can you change fate?  
Change it to your own will?  
But wouldn't that be fate as well?  
  
So much relied on me  
That it seems like  
I am fate  
But I have no control  
Over my own destiny  
  
Can one even control fate?  
Or is it a force so big and powerful  
That it simply absorbs futile attempts to change it?  
  
Fate and future  
Go hand in hand  
And the future  
Can be changed with  
One decision  
  
But do I have the strength  
To change the future?  
Do I have the courage?  
  
I have the power  
To change my fate  
And the fates of others.  
It only depends  
If I can use that power.  
  
Even if I can,  
I don't know...  
  
I don't know if I will...  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: Thanks again to my reviewers! And, hopefully, I will get the next chapter faster than last time. 


	4. Someone Comes Over

Sheep: A week is how long I take to update this fic? Eeeh... That's not good... Well, summer's coming up, so I'll have plenty of time to update to work on this! ^_^  
  
By the way, I don't own Linkin Park or it's song, Easier To Run.  
  
~*~  
  
"It's easier to run  
Replacing this pain with something numb  
It's so easier to go  
Than face this pain here all alone  
  
Something has been taken  
From deep inside of me  
A secret I've kept locked away  
No one can ever see  
Wounds so deep they never show  
They never go away  
Like moving pictures in my head  
For years and years they've played  
  
If I could change I would  
Take back the pain I would  
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would  
If I could  
Stand up and take the blame I would  
If I could take all the shame to the grave I  
Would  
  
Sometimes I remember  
The darkness of my past  
Bringing back these memories  
I wish I didn't have  
Sometimes I think of letting go  
And never looking back  
And never moving forward so  
There would never be a past  
  
Just washing it aside  
All of the helplessness inside  
Pretending I don't feel misplaced  
Is so much simpler than change  
  
It's easier to run  
Replacing this pain with something numb  
It's so much easier to go  
Than face all this pain here all alone..."  
  
Easier To Run by Linkin Park... It says all the things I'm feeling right now…  
  
Oh, it's raining. Look at that. Didn't even notice.  
  
At least I didn't have to go out in that. That would only add to my problems today.   
  
Probably EVERYTHING that could go wrong has gone wrong. First, I wake up to Grandpa singing, of all things, Spice Girls songs. That's a nightmare in itself! Then, after he goes out, Yugi drags me out of bed, even though I had one hell of a hangover from Jou's party last night.   
  
After breakfast, Yugi, being the klutz that he is, pours a bottle of pop all over my favorite leather outfit and I had to toss my outfit into the dryer and was forced to wear something called "jeans". Yugi told me that he got it for his birthday a few years ago and it was too big, so he never wore them. I guess they aren't TOO bad... I still like my leather better, though.  
  
What a depressing day this is... It always makes me so moody when it's raining. That's probably why Yugi's avoiding me. Ah, well. I could use a day of solitude. Peacefulness lets me think about what I need to think about. Like the future.  
  
The future...  
  
I don't want it to come. I don't want this stupid responsibility, this stupid fate. But you can't change your fate, can you? Nobody can. You can only set it.  
  
Why am I repeating my poem? I think I'm losing my mind.  
  
That's just perfect. Losing my mind when I have to save the world from a great evil that threatens to throw the world into the Shadow Realm.  
  
Argh! Why can't I get this out of my head?! I don't want to think about this! How can I get rid of these thoughts? These thoughts of the future, of me and of what I have to do are torturing me!  
  
Being unsure of the future is torture enough, but being unsure of what I do is almost unbearable. How can I know what I do will save the world? How can I know that what I do won't destroy it?  
  
I can't do this. Not even with my friends' support. I can't save the world...  
  
A noise outside distracts me from my chaotic thoughts.  
  
...? Who is Yugi talking to?  
  
I quickly threw on a shirt, but left it unbuttoned. I didn't bother putting on a shirt when I changed into jeans. It was more comfortable without a shirt.  
  
"Hello, pharaoh."  
  
"Kaiba?! What're you doing here?"  
  
Seto Kaiba was in our home and soaking wet. It was kind of obvious that he was walking around in the rain for a while, but I couldn't help myself. Since when does Kaiba come to our house?  
  
"None of your business. Just the same as it's none of my business about what you were doing alone in your room with no shirt on."  
  
Oh, that bastard...  
  
"Yami, he's wet and he's kind of lost," Yugi said as he got some glasses from the pantry. He must've learned how to recognize when I was going to kill. "Cut him some slack, will you?"  
  
Damn him and his innocence.  
  
"Fine," I sighed. I sat down at the table across from Kaiba. He looked at me straight into my eyes. Instead of the usual cockiness I saw in Kaiba's eyes, I saw a lost boy who didn't know what to do. Shocking, since he's usually in control of everything.  
  
"What do you want to drink, Kaiba?"  
  
"I don't know. Anything. I don't care."  
  
Okay, something's definitely wrong now. He usually knows exactly what he wants and wants it exactly how he wants it.  
  
"Kaiba, is something wrong?" I adopted a softer tone than usual and temporarily put my own confused thoughts aside.  
  
He looked at me with a vague impression of his old icy self.  
  
"Probably nothing worse than what you have, Yami. I don't have to worry about fighting a war and saving the world. I only have to worry about the war I have with myself."  
  
What the hell...?  
  
"Surprised? Don't be. First of all, it's pretty obvious what you're thinking about. Who wouldn't be thinking about consequences when the entire world is at stake?"  
  
Well. Maybe Kaiba's not that much of a bastard after all.  
  
"As for me..." He let his sentence hang with a sadness within. "I don't know who I am anymore. Who I've been for so long isn't who I am; I can feel it. I haven't been myself for so long that I don't know myself."  
  
Yugi came with a few glasses of pop and looked at him with sympathy. Why can't I be more like him? Carefree, sure of what he has to do in his life, always kind, loyal and completely chaos-free. That's what I want in my life. But, I can't because of these goddamn bindings.  
  
"I knew that you weren't really like this," Yugi said warmly. "I know that we've never really been to close as friends, but I'll do anything to help you find yourself again. And Yami'll help, won't he?"  
  
Oh, great. Yugi's volunteered me again. Another thing to add to my list of Things Gone Wrong Today.  
  
"That's right. I'll do anything to help you, Kaiba," I said. That took a lot of self-control and loss of pride, I can tell you that. "I promise."  
  
He looked at us with astonishment. A light I've never seen in him before showed through his eyes. For once, he gave us a genuine smile.  
  
Maybe the real Kaiba can help me afterwards. Maybe he'll help me break away from my chains and help me free myself if I help him break from his.  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: Hehe. Yami in an unbuttoned shirt and in jeans... Interesting image, ne?  
  
That song really reminded me of the helplessness that Yami has to feel about what he has to do. There's another song that I think that will really suit... someone... and I'll hopefully get a new chappie up soon. 


	5. Two of One

Sheep: I've decided not to make a poem of EVERY character from Yugioh because there are about 14 main characters. I don't really want to make 14 poems. I'll probably write about half a dozen or so... But if you give me a good reason, I might reconsider.  
  
As always, here's another poem!  
  
~*~  
  
Heads and Tails.  
Two different sides  
Of a single thing.  
Chance chooses which side will emerge.  
  
Different and the Same.  
So much alike  
That it's completely  
Different.  
Like a coin.  
  
Doing things I never meant  
Saying things I never felt  
Hurting those I always loved.  
Seeing through eyes that were mine  
Unable to use the hands that are mine.  
  
The mind is easily manipulated  
If the heart is weak.  
The body is easily hurt  
If the spirit is willing.  
But the soul is always unharmed.  
  
That's the belief I had.  
My soul is unharmed  
Even when my mind, body and spirit  
Are suffering.  
That was my belief.  
  
But my soul aches with pain  
It cries out with sadness  
Of what I do  
Of what I say  
Of what I feel.  
  
My soul is but one side  
Of a coin.  
The other side of me  
Makes me sad.  
He makes me hurt.  
  
I cannot be free of him.  
He is me  
And I am him.  
We may seem to be different  
When we're really the same.  
  
A coin cannot exist  
Without two sides.  
One side has a head  
The other has tails  
Or something else that it hides.  
  
A being cannot exist  
Without  
Light and  
Darkness  
Within themselves.  
  
How would you be able to  
Recognize the Light  
Without  
Looking at the Darkness?  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: Yeah, yeah, I know. It's kind of obvious who it is, but oh well. Review!! 


	6. Midnight Talk

Sheep: Totally obvious, isn't it?  
  
Ok, so ~~~ means there's a change in narration from one person to another, ok?  
  
~*~  
  
"Ryou! Ryou! Oh, where has that boy gone...?"  
  
I've been locked out of our room for the whole day and it's at least midnight now. I want to get to bed.  
  
"RYOU!"  
  
I blasted the door open with my Millennium Power and the doorknob sizzled slightly from the blast. When I walked in, I wasn't too surprised at what I was looking at.  
  
Ryou was slumped over his desk, sleeping. His silver hair reflected the lamp and the moonlight from the window. His hand still held his favorite calligraphy pen while he slept. His eyes, for once, were closed serenely in deep slumber. But it looked like his eyelashes were recently wet...  
  
It looked like he was writing something, too...  
  
My hand was about to take the paper from under his head before I decided not to. After all, what business is it of mine to look at my hikari's work? Plus, leaving him to sleep means that I get to sleep on the bed tonight.  
  
I climbed into bed and closed my eyes and my mind to go to sleep, but for some reason, I couldn't. Curiosity was gnawing away at the back of my mind as I struggled to silence my thoughts.  
  
Frustrated, I got up and gently took the paper from under Ryou's head. He whimpered slightly at an unknown beast in his dreams.  
  
Silly boy... He should know by now that dreams aren't real... Your mind just makes it real to yourself.  
  
I read what my hikari was writing beforehand with difficulty. There were wet areas that looked like Ryou was... crying.  
  
Crying? Why would he be crying? I haven't touched him for quite some time now. I haven't hurt him... directly, anyway. There's no reason for him to be crying!  
  
Unless...  
  
Unless he hates me.  
  
A dreading feeling suddenly appeared in my stomach at this realization.  
  
He hates me? I know we've never really got along too well, especially in our soul rooms, but I never thought that he'd actually hate me...  
  
Wait. Maybe he doesn't hate ME, but he hates being half a person. And maybe he just hates never knowing what I'll do when I'm in control of our body. Maybe that's it.  
  
I hope that's it. I never thought that what I did would make him feel this way about me. I always told him that I was going to do certain things, but he never asked what. And he never once complained to me when I hurt his so-called friends.  
  
"Uhh..." Ryou was stirring in his sleep. He slowly stretched and yawned, apparently oblivious that I was standing next to him with his poem in hand. Stupid boy...  
  
"Bakura!" His eyes widened to the size of the Ring when he saw that I was there. "I, uh..."  
  
"Do you really hate me this much?" I asked him quietly. I must've had a pained look on my face because he had a sad, shamed expression when he looked at me. Yeah, he'd better feel sad for me. I was in emotional pain! How could my hikari hate me?  
  
"No, Bakura, I don't... HATE you," he said with his soft voice. Damn, I love that voice of his... He looked down and said quietly, "I just wish you wouldn't abuse my friends like you do. It really hurts me inside when I see them suffer." His eyes welled up with tears again and some of that emotion leaked through our mental link.  
  
So much pain... And sorrow that I had caused. I knew that I made others unhappy, but I didn't think that Ryou would be affected like this as well.  
  
"I... I didn't know, Ryou."  
  
By this time, silent tears were falling from his eyes onto his desk again. I was right; he was crying before I came in. I never knew that Ryou was so filled with these emotions and how miserable he was all because of me.  
  
I stood there in our room, still shocked at the intensity of his emotions that were still present in our link. Not knowing what to do, I sat down on the bed and put my head in my hands. What made me miserable now was that it was I who had made my other half miserable. How could I make it up to him?  
  
"Ryou?"  
  
He looked at me with tear-filled eyes.  
  
"I-I'm sorry..."  
  
~~~   
  
Did he just say he was sorry? I have never heard Bakura even think of apologizing before, let alone say it our loud! What made him so sad?  
  
"Ryou?" He glanced up at me with a forlorn expression and, for the first time I have ever seen, with shame in himself. "I... How can you possibly forgive me? I never meant to hurt you."  
  
He never meant to hurt me? For some reason, I doubt that... How many times had he abused me through our link? How many times has he ruthlessly attacked my friends? Especially Yugi. If this is about that poem I wrote and he's trying to make it up by just saying "I'm sorry", it's not going to work... not even if I actually do think of something he could do.  
  
"I can only forgive you through time," I said quietly. "There's no easy fix."  
  
~~~  
  
Through time...  
  
How much time? I don't want to feel this way forever! But, little Ryou's probably felt like this for what probably feels like eternity anyway…  
  
I let him sleep on the bed that night, to show him that I would try my best to keep my promise to make him happy with me.  
  
I don't want him to be so angry with me like this.  
  
And I have no idea why...  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: I think I squeezed two people into one chapter... Baah... oh well. I think it's better like this. Read and Review! 


	7. Lost

Sheep: Lots of thanks go out to Cettie-girl! *hugs*  
  
~*~  
  
Walking through shadows  
On a path unknown  
But has been walked before.  
  
Footsteps echo  
As the shadows  
Press against me.  
Voices whisper  
As my feet  
Bring me through the dark.  
  
Unable to see,  
Unable to feel,  
Unable to go anywhere.  
  
Lost in my own thoughts  
Angry at myself  
For being who I am.  
Corruption follows  
Anger and frustration  
And it keeps a firm grip.  
  
Rage keeps me  
Walking on the path,  
Lost.  
  
Obsession holds me captive.  
Anger urges me on.  
Pain is my weapon.  
Chaos rules over me.  
Mercy is my weakness  
Because I am lost.  
  
I fail to see  
The light  
That should guide me.  
  
Hostage to my own self  
I run around  
Looking for escape.  
Voices whisper in my ear,  
Hissing a message to my soul.  
"You can't get out."  
  
Trapped and  
Lost within  
My own mind.  
  
Run through the shadows,  
Hope to find a refuge  
That may not exist.  
Call for help,  
Search your soul  
For your way out.  
  
I try to do this  
Since I'm lost  
And can't escape.  
  
But I've been running  
For eternity.  
My refuge  
Has been destroyed.  
I can't ask for help  
Because my voice is gone.  
  
I can't explore  
My soul  
Because I can't find it.  
  
Somebody...  
Anybody...  
  
Help me...  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: Sorry for the delay. It's kinda hard to think dark when it's summer and it's so bright outside. 


	8. Sketches

Sheep: I almost fell out of my chair when I saw how many reviews I had in my inbox. (I usually don't receive too many reviews. I know, I'm kind of pathetic.)  
  
Wow. Thanks to all you people for reviewing! *sends chibi YuGiOh dolls out to dance*  
  
~*~  
  
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.  
  
"Malik? Are you in there?" Isis' voice came through the bedroom door. She's probably just checking up on me. I've picked up the habit of locking myself in my room for hours at a time.  
  
"Yeah, I'm here. Where else can I be?"  
  
"Yes," she said after a small pause. I got the feeling that she was trying to keep her temper. "Well, have you seen Marik? I haven't been able to locate him for a while."  
  
I looked over at my bed and I saw that my other half was staring at the ceiling, probably plotting his conquest of the world... again. I called out to my sister, "yeah, he's right here. He's not trying to take over the world."  
  
"I wasn't asking that, Malik!" Her footsteps faded as she walked down the hall.  
  
"He isn't yet, at least," I muttered under my breath.  
  
"I heard that, hikari," a voice growled. Oh, so he wasn't just staring at the ceiling. He was also listening to what happened. Damn. I can never get away from him, can I?  
  
"Well, good for you," I replied bitterly. I got out a pencil and started to draw something. I knew that Marik was looking at me disdainfully, but I tried to ignore his penetrating stare. He could tell that something was bothering me.  
  
"Something's bothering you, isn't there?"  
  
See? What did I say?  
  
"If there is, you probably already know about it," I said, still concentrating on my sketch. Oh, I'm drawing a dragon. Didn't notice that. I took my eraser and started to erase some lines, trying not to look at him.  
  
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" As usual, there was a menacing tone in his voice. It's when there isn't a tone like that in his voice when I start to worry about him.  
  
I stayed silent. For a minute, nothing could be heard except the scratching of my lead on paper. Then, Malik got up from the bed and sat on a chair beside me.  
  
"Nice drawing. Is it supposed to be a dragon?"  
  
Whoa. I stopped drawing immediately at these words. I could've sworn that Marik just complimented me. I looked at my sketch and I realized that I was drawing a box around the dragon as well.  
  
"Um, yeah. It's a dragon, I think."  
  
"Not too bad. What's the box for?"  
  
I couldn't say what it was for because I honestly didn't know. Just like I don't know how to get out of my own dark mind.  
  
You can see my problem, can't you? My family's been guarding the Pharaoh's Tomb for almost 5,000 years. The tradition's been passed down generation after generation after generation for all that time. And all the heirs accept the responsibility. But I never wanted to stay down in the dark tomb for my whole life. Since I knew the Scriptures by heart, I knew that the time of the Pharaoh was near so I broke out of my house and set out to find the Pharaoh.  
  
Unfortunately, my other half had a different agenda. I just wanted to find the Pharaoh and bring him to his tomb, so that he could use the information that was etched in the stonewalls to protect the world and finally release the Ishtar family into the cultures of the world. Marik, on the other hand, wanted to find the Pharaoh and take his power, like the Scriptures say. He gradually took control of me and actually twisted my own desires for himself. That made me follow the Pharaoh not for the sake of me and my family, but for power and greed.  
  
Since he's born from me, he's also a part of me. He traps my mind within itself and confuses it so delicately that it thinks that it's doing what it wants. He did this within me, so I'm trapped within myself because of myself.  
  
"Malik?" He sharply poked my shoulder.  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry. What was it that you asked?"  
  
His eyes, which were exactly like mine, rolled in exasperation. Something that I see often with him. "The box around the dragon. What's it for?"  
  
"Oh, right. I don't know what it's for."  
  
I continued drawing for a while, not knowing what I was drawing. I often did this when I was bored or when my mind was too cluttered with thoughts. What I end up with is usually quite interesting.  
  
"Looks like a cage," Marik said after a while.  
  
It did look like a cage. Lines overlapped the dragon very much like a steel cage.  
  
"You know, these pictures that you draw often reflects what you're feeling," he said when I didn't say anything. "Like when you were angry at your sister the other day, you drew Slifer annihilating an entire city. I noticed that when you were drawing the picture, your eyes were unfocused, like you weren't really seeing the paper."  
  
It didn't really surprise me that he's been studying my habits so closely like that. I did that to him a lot.   
  
I remained silent. He'd figure it out soon enough. He's not stupid. A little warped in the mind, but he's not stupid.  
  
"You're feeling trapped. By what, I'm not too sure."  
  
Ok, half marks for Marik.  
  
"Are you feeling trapped by the restrictions of Isis? Or maybe it's that annoying tomb raider, Bakura, that's making you feel like you can't do anything..."  
  
Man, he's way off.  
  
I sighed and started to put things away.  
  
"I just... feel trapped by everything, that's all," I said lamely. "I'm really tired now, ok? I'm going to bed now."  
  
I got up, changed into my pajamas and slipped into bed. I didn't expect it, but I fell asleep almost immediately. I think I have to stop hanging around Jou so much.  
  
~~~  
  
Tired, my ass. It was barely 9 in the evening.  
  
I knew what was bothering the little hikari. He felt trapped because he couldn't do anything he wanted to without the risk of me hurting people.  
  
He didn't have to make up an excuse to avoid me and my questions. I can see right through his words into his mind. His eyes say much more than he could ever say and they were just saying that he blamed me for everything that went wrong in his life.  
  
He's partially right, though. I am to blame for recent events, but I don't know why I feel like this. So power-hungry... I blame the gods for this. They made me this way. They control my desires, my powers.   
  
Malik doesn't know that, however. He just thinks that I'm planning world domination all the time. He thinks that world domination is all that matters to me. He thinks that I don't care about him.  
  
Like I said before: I'm not stupid.  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: There's another poem done. So, what do you think? 


	9. Actions and Transformations

Sheep: It seems like every time I try to upload something onto fanfiction.net, it breaks down the moment I finish. The gods are against me this summer, I know it.  
  
~*~  
  
Broken nose,  
Bruised knuckles,  
Black eyes,  
Bloody knees.  
  
Injuries that I know of  
All too well.  
  
Broken pride,  
Bruised feelings,  
Black heart,  
Bloody soul.  
  
Attributes of people that I know of  
All too well.  
  
An action is followed  
By a reaction,  
Whether or not it was  
On purpose or  
By accident.  
  
Bonds are made by  
Actions and reactions.  
On purpose or  
By accident,  
Good or bad.  
  
Inseparable and  
Unbreakable  
And still  
Dividable and  
Vulnerable.  
  
These damned bonds.  
Eternally twisting  
Lives and fates  
Causing joy, happiness and bliss,  
And bringing sadness, anger and doubt.  
  
These ties of destiny  
Resound through  
The threads of time and space,  
Affecting actions and reactions,  
Lives and fates  
  
In the game of Destiny, which I know  
All too well.  
  
Broken noses,  
Bruised feelings,  
Black eyes,  
Bloody souls.  
  
But, through actions, reactions and bonds,  
Things change.  
  
Enmity turns into friendship,  
Hatred turns into love,  
Doubt turns into trust,  
Despair turns into hope.  
  
I hope that actions, reactions and bonds  
Will change our fates  
  
From darkness to light...  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: Well, here's hoping that ff.net will not be unavailable seconds after I upload this onto the Internet.  
  
Hope you enjoyed this poem and you're always welcome to review! ^_^ 


	10. Sleepless Night

Sheep: That last one was pretty hard, wasn't it? I wasn't pretty sure who it was until I read it over a couple times because it seems that I was thinking of a couple characters at the time. But, I know for sure who wrote that now!  
  
~*~  
  
Reactions follow actions... Through actions and reactions, transformation of self and others come to be. A little piece of philosophy I seem to have developed in my time on earth, which is quite long when you think about it.  
  
"Um, Bakura?" A pair of soft brown eyes peeked over the side of the desk. "What are you still doing up?"  
  
"Nothing, Ryou. Go back to sleep."  
  
He shrugged slightly and turned over on his bed. Soon, the deep, rhythmic sound of his breathing was heard in the silence of our bedroom. When I looked over at him, he seemed so serene and peaceful in his sleep, even though I knew that his dreams would soon come and take that calmness away from him.  
  
Transfiguration of the soul through the actions and reactions of others and myself. I'll bet that no one that I know of has their soul changed so many times as I. Well, maybe the Pharaoh. And Malik. And, of course, the hikaris.  
  
The poor hikaris. Fate, it seems, has a horrible sense of humor. Either that or she doesn't like to use her sense of justice. Probably the latter.  
  
What did the hikaris do to deserve being caught in the battle between the Gods and those who disobeyed them? The lights didn't do a thing to get in the middle of this. They're so innocent and young. Especially Ryou. Gentle souls like his shouldn't have to be tormented by spirits like...me.  
  
By Ra, no wonder the boy doesn't like me that much.  
  
"Bakura..." A sleepy voice came from the bed again.  
  
I jumped at the sudden sound that broke the silence. "Oh... Ryou, I thought I told you to go back to sleep." For some reason, my own voice carried a rough tone.  
  
"I can't. Your muttering's keeping me up."  
  
Oops. Well, what do you expect? Being trapped in an inanimate object with no one to talk to makes you develop a habit of talking to yourself.  
  
"Oh. Will you be able to sleep without me making noise?"  
  
His brown eyes were still half closed in drowsiness, so he just nodded and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, however, he spoke up again. "It wouldn't hurt to turn off the lamplight, either."  
  
"Fine." I folded up the piece of paper I wrote my little poem on and put it in my pocket. After turning off the light, I stole a look back at him. His breathing was deep and peaceful again. Thinking that he wouldn't hear me, I muttered, "Sweet dreams."  
  
"I will," he mumbled back.  
  
Sneaky little whelp. This is a sign that he's been spending too much time with me. That isn't a good thing, you know. If Ryou's trying to be more like me, the entire world is doomed. If anyone's going to try to be like someone else, it should be me trying to be more like him.  
  
Surprised, are we? Don't be. Do you really think that I enjoy being a tomb robber? Actually, yeah, I do. I can't deny that freely.  
  
But do you really think that I like all the consequences that it brought me? Because I couldn't see what could happen to me if I made certain actions, I got stuck in a stupid ring for Ra knows how long.  
  
And do you really think I like not having friends? I don't know why I'm so cold and cruel to others when I don't particularly like being lonely! The Pharaoh probably put a curse on me or something like that back in the day...wouldn't be surprised.  
  
And do you honestly think that I enjoy being me? It's harsh on myself, I know, but I don't like who I am. I don't like being evil, greedy and ruthless. Ok, I don't like being THIS evil, greedy and ruthless.  
  
Well, at least I'm not like Marik. Now THERE'S someone who's truly evil. Yeesh. Talk about needing a transformation...  
  
I really want to be more like Ryou, though. In control of his emotions, gentle, has lots of friends... He's a little too shy for my liking. And he's too honest sometimes…usually, actually. But he's the kind of person that you'd be able to trust if you ever needed to. I want to be like that.  
  
But, because of me and my stupid personality, he's losing some of that reliability from his friends.  
  
Why did he have to get dragged into all of this? He's only in this because of me and the Millennium Items.  
  
Ha. See? My philosophy works. The action of fate forcing me into his life caused a reaction of events that led to the transformation of Ryou's personality and my soul's desires.  
  
The Millennium Items and gold are no longer my first wishes of my soul. They're second in my heart.  
  
Ryou's my first priority now...  
  
Speaking of which, the stupid boy pushed away his blanket again. And he wonders why he's so cold in the morning...  
  
~~~  
  
Blasted alarm clock. Why do I bother to turn the alarm on when it's the weekend?  
  
After I turned it off, I noticed that Bakura's still sleeping... On the floor... With his head on the side of my bed...  
  
I tried not to wake him up as I got out of bed, but he's a really light sleeper. Once, the branch outside of my window banged against the wall late at night. Bakura was sleeping on the couch in my room and he woke instantly by that sound. He woke me up with his damned yelling.  
  
"Uhh… What time is it?" he asked sleepily.  
  
"Bakura! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you!" I apologized quickly. Trust me, he's grumpy in the morning. Erm...grumpier than usual, I mean.  
  
Instead of blowing up and yelling at me, like usual, he just got up from the floor and yawned.  
  
"It's fine, Ryou. What time is it?"  
  
"Um... It's almost 8."  
  
"Oh, ok... You snore too loudly in your sleep, did you know that?" he said as he passed me and went downstairs.  
  
I just stood there, paralyzed with shock about the fact that I didn't get hit or yelled at because I accidentally woke him up. The fact that something about him was changing was just starting to come into my mind.  
  
I noticed that a piece of paper was just lying on the floor after he left.  
  
"Bakura! You dropped something..."  
  
What was it? A poem?  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: Interesting, isn't it? I decided to write a poem about a piece of philosophy that Bakura had probably noticed at one point or another. After spending time with Ryou, I think anybody would at least want to be a little like him. (Or at least be with him... :D)  
  
Also, I might make a real fic out of the ideas from this one after I finish this. If you have any suggestions about which one I should do or if you might want to write one, send me and e-mail or put it in a review. 


	11. Games

Sheep: I apologize for the humongous delay for this new poem! The sweet rays of summer beckoned me to enjoy her beauty instead of residing in my room of a cave, contemplating the dark thoughts of my mind.  
  
Well, now that I got that out of the way... Enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
Someone wins,  
Someone loses  
Using luck, strategies, quick thinking,  
And, above all,  
Faith.  
  
Neverending Faith  
That everything will turn out  
For the better  
Is needed  
For the games I play.  
  
Faith fuels the soul.  
The soul helps the mind.  
The mind creates strategies.  
Strategies need luck.  
Luck depends on Faith.  
  
Most games have rules  
To decide  
Who wins and   
Who loses  
The game.  
  
Follow the rules  
And you'll have a greater chance of  
Winning.  
Break the rules and  
You lose.  
  
The basic rule  
Of all games  
Known to Mankind.  
  
But, like all rules,  
They can be bent  
To your favor.  
Such behavior like this  
Is called strategy.  
  
Bending the rules  
Is the basic drive  
Of Mankind.  
  
Strength is needed  
To bend the rules,  
To have unwavering  
Faith  
That I'll win.  
  
Strength comes from  
Friends,  
Hope,  
Fate,  
And from within.  
  
Games need strength,  
Need luck,  
Need strategy,  
Need quick thinking,  
Need Faith.  
  
I need them.  
  
So nothing will be lost.  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: Another poem come and gone. And, yes, I realize it's been almost 2 weeks since I updated this ficcy, but my brain's on vacation right now and sometimes I can't seem to think straight.  
  
But reviews will definitely help my mind right itself and it'll hopefully make a good story bit! ^_^ 


	12. Popcorn?

Sheep: Ha. I think I forgot to mention this before, but I was taking an actual vacation for almost 3 weeks. Oops! But, to make up for not telling all of you, I'm going to do some creative thinking, write a new chapter and post it on my birthday.  
  
~*~  
  
It's amazing, isn't it? How so many lives and fates can depend on a single action... or on the action not taken. And how so many people depend on the outcome of a simple game...  
  
Whether I win or lose can decide the fate of the whole world. Or, rather, whether Yami and I win or lose can decide it. If we win, we save the whole world and peace will hopefully be restored. If we lose, the world will fall under the control of chaos and madness.  
  
Isn't that just perfect? Billions of lives depend on how a game is played by a teenager and an ancient pharaoh who once possessed the teen through an inanimate object. Sounds pretty ridiculous when you just hear it.  
  
But when you're living it... It's completely different.  
  
It's true what Morpheus said in that movie, The Matrix. "There's a difference in knowing the path and walking the path." Man, did I ever learn that the hard way.  
  
But, how would you know if you're on the right path in the first place? How would you know that this path is the path that will ensure that the path you're on is the one that you were meant to walk on? How?  
  
I guess the answer is simple: you don't.  
  
Strategies, luck, faith. These things are what guide us, aren't they? They help us get through the path, even if they don't get you through safely. They help us bend the path so that it's easier to get to the end. But they can also help others make the path harder for us to walk.  
  
So if the path that I have to take is just a game, what would happen if I lose? The path would break, shattering the ground beneath my feet, uprooting the very earth and rearrange it to make way for another person who has to walk my path. Or it would simply disappear, leaving me lost.  
  
Both of those choices aren't that appealing, are they? No, they're not…  
  
Losing a single duel could cost me everything I hold close to my heart and cause the world to be thrown into darkness. Yami has the strategies while I provide the faith to win. Both of us have tremendous luck.  
  
But... what if I don't have the faith to go on and win? What do I do then? What would happen if I suddenly lose faith in myself and Yami?  
  
Oh, I know. Jou would probably kick my ass. He'd remind me that everybody's there for me and Yami, no matter what. He'd probably do that while kicking my ass.  
  
And, of course, Yami would always reassure me that we'd go through anything that the enemy has in store for us. That always makes me have faith that everything will turn out fine and all my friends will always support me.  
  
...Okay, now I realize that I've been hanging around Anzu a tad too much.  
  
Yami's been acting a little odd lately, too. It's not because Anzu's almost always around, either. He seems to be unsure about the future… Like he doesn't know if he's doing the right thing.  
  
And he calls me unfaithful! He doesn't even know if he's going to do it!  
  
Well, I can't blame him. The future's totally unknown. For example, I didn't really expect Kaiba to show up at our door soaking wet and looking like a lost puppy. (When I saw him, I though it was kind of ironic that he calls Jou a puppy. Wouldn't you think so, too?)  
  
  
  
It's so quiet... Too quiet. I hope it was a good idea to let Kaiba stay at our place.  
  
Oh, gods! I left him and Yami alone!  
  
  
  
Almost panicking, I raced out of my room to the living room to see if anything had happened when I stupidly went for a shower and stayed holed up in my room. When I reached there, what I saw was definitely not what I expected at all.  
  
"Pass the popcorn, Yami."  
  
"Sure."  
  
I felt the distinct flush of my blood rushing to my face.  
  
"Oh, hey, Yugi. You finally came out of the washroom," my dark half said. He was curled up comfortably on the armchair and he peacefully handed Kaiba the bowl of popcorn from the coffee table. "We were just saying that you probably drowned in the shower."  
  
"Actually, I thought you got tangled by your bathrobe, but I see you're completely fine," drawled Kaiba. He was lying on the sofa, one leg propped up on the back of it. "Something wrong, Yugi?"  
  
"You do seem a little worried," said Yami. He looked at me full of concern.  
  
I tried saying something, but I nothing came out of my mouth. The whole world had now officially turned upside down! Yami and Kaiba were inside my home, watching Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. And they weren't trying to kill each other!  
  
"I-- uh-- Yeah," I managed to choke out. "Is, uh... Is everything ok out here?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Everything's fine."  
  
"You don't want any drinks or anything?"  
  
They both lifted up cans of soda from the floor at the same time.  
  
"Want to watch The Two Towers with us?" asked Kaiba. He started to get up from being sprawled on the couch to make room for me. "You've been in there for so long that Aragorn's just about to come back from falling off the cliff."  
  
"Nah, it's ok. I, uh, I don't really like movies with so much fighting. I'll just stay in my room. You know where to find me if you need me."  
  
"Yeah," they both said and turned back to the TV. Kaiba went back to his former position.  
  
Still feeling the shock of seeing something that was next to impossible, I managed to make it back to my own room without collapsing to the ground. Actually, I stumbled a couple times, but they didn't notice.  
  
  
  
At least, I don't think they did. Damn! Now it's going to bug me for a while!  
  
But, something was out of place. Erm... More out of place than usual, I mean.  
  
Kaiba was a little... different, somehow. A little more revealed, more true. He seems so much more relaxed and content that I hope he finds what he's looking for in his heart.  
  
Wait. Let me rephrase that.  
  
I hope he finds who he's looking for.  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: I couldn't help it. I just had to insert something from Lord of the Rings in here. If you go through my LotR fic, you'll see that I slipped in something from Yugioh in there, too.  
  
So, I managed to continue the Seto/Yami/Yugi bit a little. And, no, if I'm planning to do a real fic of that particular story or any of these, I doubt I'll do a yaoi one.  
  
Also, I believe that was my last poem from Yugioh. I'll put up a final chapter hopefully this week. If not, I'll put it up next week. That is, unless anybody can give me a good reason to continue this poem-fic with the cast.  
  
Until then... Sayonara! ^_^ 


	13. The End?

Sheep: Final poem of this fic...  
  
~*~  
  
All things have  
Two things in common:  
A Beginning and  
An End.  
  
Everything begins  
And grows  
Causing others  
To change and  
Transform.  
  
Some things change  
By masking themselves,  
Covering themselves with  
Lies, secrets and fear.  
But their hearts and souls  
Remain the same.  
  
Some things Transform  
Through the tendrils of Fate.  
Manipulated and controlled,  
Bound to their destinies.  
But their choices alter  
Themselves and their fates.  
  
Some things are Corrupted  
By others that are  
Fused with themselves,  
Threads of Destiny intertwining.  
But they stay True  
To their souls.  
  
Some things change  
Because they are  
Lost and trapped,  
Confused by their own selves.  
But they grow to trust  
In other things as well as themselves.  
  
Some things Transform  
For the sake of transformation.  
Allowing Change to happen from action  
Permits more things to begin.  
But they may lose their hopes  
Or gain their dreams.  
  
But other things Transform  
Solely for others.  
Giving them strength, hope  
And faith.  
But these too are vulnerable  
To Change.  
  
With every Beginning,  
There is an End.  
But every End  
Is always another  
Beginning.  
  
Time  
Fate  
And our own souls  
All govern and monitor  
Our Beginnings and Ends.  
  
Through these things  
We change and transform.  
Through these transformations,  
We discover  
Who we truly are.  
  
So is this truly an End?  
Yes and No.  
This ends a time  
But it begins another.  
  
~*~  
  
Sheep: I'm done... I really don't know if I should be sad or happy that I've completed a fic. I guess I should be both, shouldn't I?  
  
A poem about Beginnings and Ends to actually end a fic and probably begin new ones. Not a bad ending, if I do say so myself. ^_^  
  
So, about future fics that are actually stories, not just a compilation of poems and story bits... I am actually planning to write a story of Ryou and Bakura first because I have a vague idea of a story, unlike the Seto, Yami and Yugi plot which I have basically no idea what to do. But, I'm going to spend more time on my LotR fic than that one, so I really can't see more than a couple chapters of a new YuGiOh fic. Sorry! Bear with me and PLEASE have patience for the future; you'll never know what it might bring!  
  
Oh, before I leave... Thanks to all you wonderful, wonderful readers and reviewers! Especially Cettie-girl, If You Only Knew, Steeple333 and Alina3!  
  
Byebi!  
  
~ The End. ~ 


End file.
